Which rookies will stand out from the rest?
There’s no shortage of hype around the Detroit Lions right now. Year three of Brad Holmes’s rebuild officially kicks off July 29th, when training camp begins in Allen Park. After finishing the season 7-1 and proving to be beyond just a frisky team in the season’s second half, the Lions didn’t waste time in the offseason preparing for 2023.
The noise around this team is loud for a reason. The organization has full confidence in its coaching staff, offseason acquisitions, and existing players to gel together, forming a football team that can go toe-to-toe with any team in the NFC.
That’s just it; if all gears are turning, Dan Campbell’s squad can be one of the most dangerous teams in the conference. This publicity and expectation is unfamiliar territory for most Lions fans, making all the buzz almost unbelievable. Almost.
However, even with all the optimism in the air, nothing is guaranteed. If you’ve watched the NFL long enough, you know just how unlikely it is for everything to fall in your favor. Last season, the Denver Broncos had the eighth shortest preseason odds to win the Super Bowl at +1680. They finished just 5-12.
There’s a handful of things that must happen for the Lions to maximize their potential. Health sits atop the list. But there’s a good argument the next most influential factor of the Lions’ season is the impact of the 2023 rookie class.
To be clear, the Lions were favorites to win the division before the draft. With or without their eight rookies, Detroit will be an above-average team. However, three rookies can potentially elevate and unlock a new level to this team, depending on their play in 2023.
Jahmyr Gibbs
If there’s one thing the coaching staff made clear this offseason, they love their Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs. It’s no secret the Lions will give Gibbs a high volume of touches, both on the ground and through the air, early into his career. When a team takes a running back with the 12th overall pick in the draft, they must use him accordingly.
Holmes even went as far as comparing Gibbs to current and future Hall-of-Fame running backs on Peter Schrager’s podcast, The Season with Peter Schrager.
“When I first got with the Rams in 2003, Marshall Faulk was still there, and I was a huge Marshall Faulk guy — just kind of seeing what he does in both phases,” Holmes said. “And just from a scouting standpoint, when Christian McCaffrey came out, he was the last guy that I was like, ‘Holy cow, this guy can run routes like a slot receiver but also run it.’ So, you start getting reminders of those players. I’m not sitting here saying Jahmyr Gibbs is one of those players, but (he’s) just a special weapon like that. We have a lot of excitement and optimism.”
If Gibbs is anything close to either of those players in his rookie season, Detroit’s offense, which was top-5 in both total yards and points last season, will ascend to an even higher level.
Jack Campbell
Defensively, the Lions ranked bottom five in both total passing yards and rushing yards allowed last season. After adding CJ Gardner Johnson, Cam Sutton, and Emmanuel Moseley in the offseason while also getting Tracy Walker back from a torn Achilles, the secondary, by default, will be much improved. That leaves the run defense as the only real ‘weak spot’ on the roster, simply because the group is unproven.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill is certainly a breakout candidate (regretfully, I left him off my column last week). The Lions also drafted six-foot-five rookie Brodric Martin, who comes in at 330 pounds. Eventually, I expect the Lions to routinely play these monstrous men side-by-side.
Enter Jack Campbell, the 18th overall pick in the draft, another controversial decision at the time. Looking back, there wasn’t a better move for the Lions at 18, despite the common narrative; inside linebackers shouldn’t be taken in the first round.
Campbell, who also stands at 6’5″, played four years at Iowa, being named the BIG 10 Defensive Player of the Year his senior season. In his junior year, he led the nation in tackles. Campbell doesn’t need to put up those type of numbers to impact the Lions positively. If the Lions’ run defense is average, and that’s the Achilles heel of the team, everything else should take care of itself.
Sam LaPorta
I fundamentally disagreed with taking a tight end with the 34th pick in the draft. The Lions’ offense showed zero statistical drop-offs after they traded away Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota. Therefore it never made sense to me to prioritize drafting one. However, that state of mind has nothing to do with how I view LaPorta as a prospect.
LaPorta, along with having all the physical traits necessary to play in the NFL, has the most receiving yards and receptions amongst tight ends in Iowa history, an impressive accolade when you look at who LaPorta’s competition was (T.J. Hockenson, George Kittle, Dallas Clark, Noah Fant).
Granted, going from the BIG 10 West to the NFL is a drastic change for a tight end. The edge rushers are stronger and faster, while the linebackers and defensive backs aren’t as easy to shake when running routes. LaPorta likely won’t hit the ground running in week one, but there’s a reason he was the first tight end taken off the board.
LaPorta’s ability to pick up yards after the catch is uncanny. In open space, he was one of the most deadly sights in college football last season. It’s been a long time since the Lions have had a playmaker like that at the tight end position.
Repetition is key for LaPorta right now. Although the rookie played with the second team during Mini-Camp last month, establishing his connection with Goff and getting used to the speed of NFL play will be essential to his development early on. If LaPorta can get better each week of the season, he too will help unlock a new element to this offense in his rookie campaign, making the offense even more dynamic than it already is.
